Questions for Oral Answer
As At Thursday, 18 March 2004

Questions to Ministers

1. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by the statement given on her behalf regarding the seabed and foreshore, "the language of ownership is clearly divisive in this context. If one wants to be divisive, as one's main purpose, then continue to use the concept of "ownership" as the main consideration."; if not, why not?

2. CLAYTON COSGROVE to the Minister of Finance: Has he received any reports on tax levels for average income earners compared with other OECD countries?

3. PETER BROWN to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in her Minister of Police; if so, why?

4. DEBORAH CODDINGTON to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What action did he take, and on what dates did he take it, following the letter of complaint he received asserting the chief executive of the Hikurangi Learning Centre was carrying out fraudulent acts by changing attendance sheets of students?

5. LYNNE PILLAY to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What progress is being made against the Government's target of having 150,000 New Zealanders in industry training in 2005?

6. Dr WAYNE MAPP to the Minister of Maori Affairs: Does he stand by his statement last night that Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed was now "More probable than not."; if so, why?

7. LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: What level of support has New Zealand provided the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands?

8. Hon TONY RYALL to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF): Does the Provider Information for the Maori Youth Contestable Fund, dated 14 September 2001, list the first primary outcome expected from Whanau Service Plans as "Reduced re-offending by young Maori who attend the programme;"?

9. JILL PETTIS to the Minister for Rural Affairs: What reports has he received on the response from flood-affected people to the Government's package?

10. SIMON POWER to the Minister of Veterans' Affairs: How many places have been allocated to veterans within the New Zealand delegation travelling to Italy for the Monte Cassino 60th Anniversary commemorations in May this year?

11. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister of Finance: What specific measures, if any, is the Government proposing to assist the export sector?

12. KEITH LOCKE to the Prime Minister: Will New Zealand follow the lead of the new Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and commit to withdraw our soldiers from Iraq if the United Nations does not take control by 30 June?

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>